School Starting age: Scotland vs England
Typically, the school starting age in Scotland vs England is the same, with children entering P1 or Reception when they are 4.5 to 5.5 years old. However, the Scottish Greens are pushing for children in Scotland to enter formal education at the age 7 to emulate the successful policies of Nordic countries.
Scottish education system vs English education system
Educational content for schools across the UK is broadly similar; however, the education system structure differs significantly, and this can create difficulties for parents who may be moving from England to Scotland and vice versa. It can also create problems when searching for online resources. Many parents are unsure if certain websites or free resources are only relevant for English pupils and not Scottish pupils.
In addition to explaining why the Scottish government are considering raising the school starting age to seven, this article also provides some contextual insight into where each system differs most. The English and Welsh curriculum is known as the National Curriculum (or New National Curriculum). In Scotland, the school curriculum is called the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). While the names of classes by year are different (see table below), England and Wales categorise the first learning stage as Key Stage 1, followed by Key Stage 2. In Scotland, this is called First Level and Second Level, and the stages do not precisely align with one another.
School-age calculator in Scotland vs England
Age | England | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
4 - 5 | Reception (KS1) | P1 (First Level) |
5 - 6 | Year 1 (KS1) | P2 (First Level) |
6 - 7 | Year 2 (KS1) | P3 (First Level) |
7 - 8 | Year 3 (KS2) | P4 (First Level) |
8 - 9 | Year 4 (KS2) | P5 (Second Level) |
9 - 10 | Year 5 (KS2) | P6 (Second Level) |
10 - 11 | Year 6 (KS2) | P7 (Second Level) |
Raising the school starting age in Scotland
Across Britain, children typically begin school aged 4-5, but Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Beatrice Wishart has highlighted that this practice is dated back to the Victorian era and now requires adjustment for the benefit and well being of 21st-century pupils.
Initially introduced in 1870, the current starting age encouraged mothers to get back to work as quickly as possible. Today, politicians and education experts believe that this may be too young and that children should not enter education so early.
Nothing is official as of yet, but we’ll examine how this might affect the education landscape in Scotland and what would happen if the rest of the UK followed suit.
Why is the Scottish government considering raising the school starting age?
The Scottish Green Party first brought the debate to light within its parliament, citing the success of Finland’s education system. Raising the school starting age to 7 years old may support children achieve better results in literacy and numeracy.
The party proposes a kindergarten programme to improve educational outcomes by using “creative play” rather than formal learning, beginning at age 7. The focus beforehand would only be on child development, social skills, outdoor learning, physical and mental health.
This proposal was backed up by “Upstart Scotland” which campaigns for the introduction of kindergarten stages. The chair of the campaign group, Sue Palmer, has stated that:
“Now that Scottish children have fully-funded entitlement to early learning and care from the age of three, it would be fairly easy to raise the starting age for formal schooling to the year children to turn seven and provide developmentally-appropriate education for three to seven-year-olds, as they do in successful Nordic countries.”
However, not everyone agrees with the proposal. Minister for Children and Young People Maree Todd argues her experiences with visiting schools and early learning settings had demonstrated very positive educational outcomes without the need to introduce a formal kindergarten stage.
Is starting school age seven better for children?
The UK has one of the lowest school starting ages in Europe, irrespective of research from 2009 suggesting that an early-start regime dents children’s confidence and risks long-term damage to their learning. Nevertheless, it was rejected by the government at the time for contradicting education policy based on Every Child Matters.
Starting school at age seven is proven to benefit children in other countries such as Finland, with a reputation for a successful education system. The Finnish government focuses on children’s mental health before academia, allowing them to learn how to be children before learning their timetables.
Although it does not mean starting school lower than age seven is necessarily bad. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found evidence of a positive effect on IQ scores from starting school early. According to various sources, children learn how to interact socially at a younger age and learn to adapt to new situations by entering a formal education sooner rather than later.
In the context of a global pandemic, many feel that now is the time to focus on children’s mental health rather than academia. The Scottish Greens education spokesperson Ross Greer said:
“The pandemic and home learning have shone a light on the importance of children’s wellbeing. As we turn towards recovery, we should seize the opportunity to leave behind the least effective parts of our education system.”
Could this new system become a reality in Scotland and the rest of the UK?
There is plenty of research that clearly shows that children will benefit significantly from play-based activities and the freedom to explore. This includes the evidence that Upstart has provided. Countries have proven time and time again that this is helpful to children.
However, it all comes down to the politics of the government and their beliefs and policies. Currently, the debate continues in Scotland with a particular focus on mental health during the pandemic. And so, while raising the school starting age to seven may be a reality for Scotland, it may not be a reality in England anytime soon.
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